


Beggars Can Be Choosers

by untokki



Category: EXO (Band), 极限挑战 | Go Fighting! (TV)
Genre: Break Up, Fluff, M/M, Slow Burn, Sugar Daddy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-12-20 15:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11923386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/untokki/pseuds/untokki
Summary: In the beginning, Yixing couldn't have asked for a better man than Luo Zhixiang. It was a perfect, lush life for Yixing, but he couldn't see why he didn't enjoy it like he once had. When a new face makes its debut around Zhixiang's fashion design firm, Yixing finds that, maybe, Zhixiang isn't meant for him.





	1. 01.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first full fic... im utterly ecstatic.  
> since i know myself very well, this entire work was written before uploading to any site. if i updated as i wrote, then i would end up forgetting. it's happened before ;;;  
> i hope you all enjoy this! i worked on it for months im ready for death to take me

_**Yixing did not**_ live with his boyfriend of two years, but based on the fact that he woke up every morning in Zhixiang’s bed, he might as well have moved in already. The light that radiated into the bedroom through the sheer curtains greeted his soft skin, groaning as it attacked his slowly opening eyes. He rubbed his face after escaping the grasp of his boyfriend’s arm around his waist, stretching his arms up above his head as he cracked his spine. The bed shifted slightly as Yixing’s boyfriend woke up, scooping the younger man back into his arms. Yixing was attacked with butterfly kisses all over his checks, neck and collar bones, a giggle slipping past his lips as he eased back into the soft pillows. “Good morning,” Zhixiang whispered against his sculpted collar bone, nuzzling into the skin as hot breath left his lips.  
    Yixing returned the greeting as the elder man pulled away, throwing his bare legs over the side of the bed to stand up. His naked body reminded Yixing of their lovely escapade from the previous night, love bites that littered both of them were already blossoming into bright hues of purple and red. No matter how sweet Zhixiang was to him during the day, the elder man ignited a demon when they got into bed. Though, he was a rather benevolent demon; whenever a sound of discomfort would leave Yixing, Zhixiang would leave behind his fiery persona and litter the younger with kisses and soft touches until he was moaning in pleasure again. Yixing rubbed the hickey that he knew sat underneath his ear, his fingers gently pushing into the skin to renew the sensation it held the night before. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhixiang getting dressed in his walk-in closet, his blond, caramel hair was still disheveled, making a stark contrast to the pristine white suit jacket that was hanging nicely off his torso. The pure color of his outfit for the day made his sun kissed skin look all the more beautiful, and Yixing couldn’t help but smile as he pulled the blankets up to his nose. Zhixiang turned around, his hands working on buttoning up the front of his jacket. “Do you want me to get you breakfast?” he asked before flattening his hair, staring at the mirror outside of the closet.  
    “I’ll pick something up on my way to work,” Yixing replied as he crept out of bed, the cool spring air caressing his body as he searched the room for the clothes he shed last night. He pulled on the shirt his boyfriend had discarded instead, it was slightly bigger than his own size. He stepped into his own boxers before sitting back down on the bed.  
    “It’s no problem,” Zhixiang said as he clipped his diamond earrings into his ear lobes. He smiled at Yixing when he left the mirror. “You’ll probably end up just getting coffee anyway, and that isn’t a balanced breakfast.”  
    “It’s better than nothing, isn’t it?” Yixing stood up and followed his boyfriend to the ensuite. The elder was already running the faucet so they could both brush their teeth. The only sound between them came from the dripping faucet and the bristles of toothbrushes. Before long, they each stopped, spitting into the sink, finally breathing with fresh, mint exhalations. The conversation from before continued as they exited the bathroom, Zhixiang pulling out dress shoes when he passed the closet. “It could be a little morning date,” he commented.  
    Yixing had already left the bedroom, entering the kitchen to search through the fridge. He called out to the other, “Aren’t you going to be late for work?” He could see the illuminated numbers on the oven, and even though it was a bit over an hour before Zhixiang started, he still waited for a response from the other.  
    “Why are you so persistent in not going out for breakfast?” he finally said, and the strong smell of cologne drifted into Yixing’s nose, signalling that the elder had entered the area. Yixing pulled away from the fridge with a huff and let the door close on its own. “It’s not that I don’t want to.”  
    “Okay, so what is it?”  
    “I don’t know. We always go out to eat,” Yixing shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the other man from across the kitchen bar, leaning his elbows onto the cool countertop. “And it always tends to be expensive.”  
    Zhixiang was sitting at the dining table, his cell phone in his hands as he scrolled through his morning texts. “It isn’t your money that’s being spent, so that shouldn’t really matter to you,” he took a moment to look up at the other, “Should it?”  
    Yixing didn’t reply, staring down at the marble counter, watching as his index finger traced the irregular patterns of brown and black. Zhixiang paid for literally everything Yixing had. It didn’t matter if it was food, or clothes, or anything in between, Zhixiang was the one signing for the card. The elder man definitely had the money to spend, but Yixing couldn’t help but feel selfish. He never asked for anything either, it was always the other man that pulled out his wallet before Yixing could reject. As Yixing thought about it, he was, in a way, paying the elder man back for everything he was treated to. His ears heated up at the thought, but Zhixiang’s whining of his name lulled him out of his own mind. With a sigh and a push away from the countertop, Yixing agreed to go out to breakfast.

***

    The neighborhood Zhixiang lived in was surrounded with expensive department stores, and even more expensive restaurants. It made sense to Yixing, since his boyfriend was rather successful. It surprised him, when he had first met the elder four years prior, to find that he was the head design director at an insanely prosperous fashion firm. How the elder man fell for a college dance instructor was still unknown to Yixing. His baggy gray hoodie and faded skinny jeans looked so bland next to Zhixiang’s expensive suit. Yixing’s hands curled under the worn sleeves of his jacket as he stretched his arms high above his head, reading over the laminated menu that sat on the table. The French bakery near Zhixiang’s home was one of Yixing’s favorite stops, and the couple often found themselves sitting on the patio of the restaurant most mornings. Zhixiang sat across from him, his steaming mug of coffee raised to his lips, and his honey eyes glued on Yixing. “What are you getting?” the younger asked as he scooped the menu into his hands, flipping back a page to see the dishes where the primary ingredient was egg.  
    Zhixiang’s finger came over the menu and pointed at an item listed at the top. “What I always get.”  
    Yixing nodded and read over the text, twisting his tongue inside of his mouth in an attempt to familiarize himself with the French words. It didn’t matter if he could pronounce it or not, since Zhixiang had a habit of ordering for the both of them anyway. Yixing was somewhat indecisive, so he didn’t mind it.

    Yixing’s fork almost dropped from his hand when the sudden vibration from his cell phone danced in the pocket of his jacket. He fished out the device and unlocked it, being greeted by a few texts from his friend. He only could read a preview of the most recent one: Does this guy ever work? He’s here every morning.  
    Opening the messages, he found about six from his best friend, Luhan. Yixing chuckled as he read through them.  
    _That guy with the purple hair is at the park again._  
    He just kicks the ball around, he doesn’t even try anything cool.  
    I think the kids on the team are weirded out.  
    Does this guy even work? He’s here every day.  
    Another appeared on screen.  
    _Okay, wow, he’s cute._  
    Yixing was about to respond, when Zhixiang began talking to him. “There’s a dinner party next month. I’m assuming you want to go?”  
    Nodding his head, Yixing put his phone on the table. “Is it really classy, like last time?”  
    “Of course.”  
    “I’ll have to find my suit then,” he stated, watching as his phone lit up with another message.  
    “Out of season. We can go shopping for a new one,” Zhixiang remarked, sliding his credit card into the sleeve the waiter had just left on the table.  
    “It’s a black suit, how is that out of season?”  
    “It’s a year old suit. How can they expect you to wear something out of date?”  
    Yixing huffed before taking a swig of his water. He didn’t understand how last year’s fashion was “out of date”. He still had clothes from when he was in college.  
    “Besides. I want to see you in some nice, pastel, spring colors,” Zhixiang smiled at him when he got back his card, and stood up. He offered his hand out to Yixing, who took it without a word.

***

    “Hey, you always make a point to respond to me as soon as possible,” Luhan’s voice said over the phone, the commotion in the background signalling that the elder was still out coaching for the day, as he did every day. He waited for Luhan to stop yelling at a kid for “kicking the ball directly at his face” before he responded.  
    “I was with Zhixiang,” he answered simply, slipping his backpack off his shoulder as he entered the dance studio. He flicked on the lights and switched his phone into his other hand.  
    “And I was with the future man of my dreams,” Luhan retorted.  
    “Really? You said you were creeped out by him,” Yixing sat down at the cluttered desk in the corner of the room, twirling slightly in the office chair. He caught his reflection in mirrored wall, and noticed the bored expression that had fallen over his features.  
    “Yeah, I did. Until I saw him get into his car. I don’t even know how to pronounce that car brand, Yixing. That means he has money.”  
    “So he’s the future _bank_ of your dreams?”  
    “Well, he’s cute too.”  
    “You have a warped sense of romance, Luhan.”  
    A hum came from the elder. “Says you.”  
    Yixing sighed as he dropped the phone onto the desk, pressing the speaker button. Luhan had already told him, on multiple occasions, that Yixing wasn’t much of a romantic himself. He felt insecure about his relationship with Zhixiang already, so Luhan confirming his worries wasn’t very reassuring.  
    “When does your class start?” Luhan’s voice rang through the room as Yixing shed his jacket and turned on the desktop computer.  
    “Thirty minutes,” he answered, fingers flying over the keyboard as he searched for the music he wanted. Soon enough, the speakers on the computer came to life with a poppy beat, and Yixing could barely hear Luhan’s voice over the phone. “Alright, I’ll talk to you later then. Next time you see me, I may have a soccer ball sized bruise on my body, somewhere.”  
    Yixing chuckled, and said a farewell before pressing the red button on the phone screen. His smile fled his lips and he sighed gently, pushing his bangs up with his hand as he made his way to the center of the room. He closed his eyes and waited for a beat of the song that he get into, but somehow, he didn’t feel it. As the next song began, he felt the same disappointment. No music was connecting with his body, as his mind was still revolving around what Luhan had said. Yixing definitely wasn’t with Zhixiang for his money. He hadn’t even know about the elder’s high standing job when they had first met.  
    Meeting Zhixiang was always foggy to Yixing. It wasn’t that he didn’t remember it happening, it was more that he didn’t really know how it happened. At the time, he was twenty-two, fresh out of college, and welcoming the idea of dating. A friend of his and Luhan’s, named Tao, had just entered the business of modeling. It was a dream that the younger man had since they were all kids. Tao had insisted that Yixing and Luhan needed to come to the fashion company that he was working with at the time, and that was the first time Yixing had ever laid eyes on Zhixiang. After that, it became foggy to him. Yixing couldn’t remember what it was like before he started dating the elder. The earliest thing he did remember was the first time Zhixiang had pressed his lips on his, and Yixing had moved against him almost on instinct. Most of Yixing’s memories and thoughts of Zhixiang started with a kiss.

    The end of the dance class came quicker than Yixing would have liked. When the first student entered the room, all thoughts of Zhixiang and Luhan retreated from his mind, and he was finally able to flow with the music. But by the time the last student collected their stuff and left, Yixing was left with booming beats and an empty dance studio once more. When he turned off the computer, he hadn’t yet realized that his phone was vibrating its way off the desk. He grabbed it just in time, and answered, being greeted with Zhixiang’s voice. “Did you mention you need a new laptop?” he asked after exchanging their typical greetings.  
    “Yeah, but I’m in no hurry for one,” he confessed, remembering the tantrum he had thrown a few nights before, when his laptop was crawling slower than a snail. He pressed his phone between his shoulder and ear as he grabbed his jacket and backpack, heading towards the door. He made an attempt to open the door, and twist the lid off his water bottle, but ended up giving up and prompting in taking a swig before finally leaving.  
    “We can go to the Apple store today, if you’d like.”  
    Yixing stopped in the hallway, not only to shove his bottle into his backpack, but to process the other’s request. “It’s fine. I’m saving up for one anyway.”  
    “I insist. I can pick you up from work, if you want, too.”  
    “I live within walking distance.”  
    “Who said you’d be spending the night at your apartment?”  
    Yixing almost shivered when he heard the purr lacing his boyfriend’s voice. He had to give into that. “Fine. I’ll be waiting outside.”  
    “No need. I’m already waiting for _you_ outside,” Zhixiang chuckled, and Yixing had to refrain from rolling his eyes as he walked out of the building. Sure enough, he saw Zhixiang’s car in the parking lot, the expensive vehicle contrasting with the other cars parked around it. When he saw Zhixiang’s hand wave him over from the rolled down window, Yixing sped up his steps. He slid into the passenger seat without a word, greeted with a kiss on his cheek from the other. “How are you?” Zhixiang asked as he started the car, his hand naturally resting against Yixing’s knee.  
    “Good,” he replied, glancing out the window. The school already seemed so far away, and they had barely even left the parking lot yet. It was like Yixing knew in the back of his mind, that the view of the old brick building was going to be replaced by modern glass stores, so he wanted to savor the image of the less glamorous side of town. The music that hummed from the radio was a little too soft to break the silence that fell between them, and as Yixing leaned forward to turn the volume knob, Zhixiang let out a heavy sigh.  
    “We have a new client. He isn’t a model, but he’s working with some fashion magazines to write an article about _Wo Chen_ ,” Zhixiang explained. Yixing looked at him, almost forgetting the name of the company his boyfriend worked for. “He seems really new to the field, but he’ll be in our offices for awhile.”  
    “Give him a chance,” Yixing said, leaning back against the seat. “You can’t expect someone new to be perfect at everything.”  
    “I know, but it’s gonna get irritating. He wants to run an interview with me specifically.”  
    “Like you’ll have a problem talking about yourself,” Yixing laughed under his breath. He could see the smile pull Zhixiang’s lips as he squeezed Yixing’s knee. The drive continued with subtle talk between them, until the car was parked and Yixing was ready to get out. His wrist was grabbed by the other to keep him in his seat. Zhixiang’s hand was wrapped under his chin, and Yixing was pulled into a deep kiss. He didn’t question it, instead just pushing his lips with the same amount of force. When they broke away, Zhixiang had a big smile. “Expect something nice tonight,” he said before exiting the car. That left Yixing with a pink tint on his cheeks, but he got out and found himself holding onto Zhixiang’s hand as they walked into the store.


	2. 02.

_**It was rare**_ that Yixing went out with someone that wasn’t his boyfriend. Usually, Zhixiang would tag along, even if he wasn’t invited. However, the elder was stuck in work, having to talk with the journalist he had told Yixing about, which left the younger man to be free with his friends. Being somewhat of a homebody, Yixing didn’t really care for going out at night, but Luhan and Tao had literally dragged him out of his apartment. “You look half dead,” Tao had said when he saw the elder man, his hair freshly bleached and his body clad in some ridiculous outfit that Yixing couldn’t comprehend.  
    “Basically,” Yixing replied, bringing his hand to his eyes to rub the bags under them. He had been asleep when his friends came to his apartment, since he had barely gotten any sleep from the night before. Zhixiang had a lot of energy to spend.  
    “Dead enough to go drinking like you have nothing to lose?” Luhan questioned, slinging an arm around the taller man’s shoulders and forcing him to walk down the sidewalk.  
    “Not dead enough for that. I don’t drink, Luhan.”  
    “You’re still no fun,” Tao sighed.  
    “I’m a responsible adult. Unlike you two.”  
    Tao gasped out loud and slammed his hand against his heart, feigning pain. “I’m _very_ responsible. I waited to drink until I was 16,” he pouted, “More responsible than some people.”  
    Yixing shrugged Luhan’s arm off his shoulder and shoved his hands into his pockets. Compared to Tao, him and Luhan were saints. And compared to Luhan, Yixing was an angel. It was hard for him to see why he had remained friends with the two for so many years. He glanced up at the sky for a moment, taking in the bright white light of the stars against the black backdrop. Clouds that were colored in shades of purple and gray danced slowly along the sky, signalling the beginning of April showers that would attack the ground soon. The neon signs of the downtown were flaring up into the sky, interrupting the silk night with loud reds and oranges. Yixing’s apartment was on the border of old and new, making travel to the sleazier part of the city quick. He didn’t mind it, since he rarely spent time in his own home. But as he looked at the brick buildings, with dumpsters at their sides and broken beer bottles spilling into the gutters, he missed the pristine neighborhood of his boyfriend’s house. Luhan’s fingers snapped in front of his eyes, and he found himself at the entrance of one of the bars with his friends on each side of him. “Are you tripping out, or something?” he asked.  
    “I’m fine,” he motioned for them to go inside, “Let’s just go.”

    Yixing was surprised to find men clad in nice suits sitting at the bar, talking amongst themselves. He hadn’t noticed them at first, when they had sat down in their own booth, but he found it strange. He could definitely tell when a suit was expensive, thanks to his boyfriend’s job, and the business men clearly had money. He was questioning in his head why they would be in such a part of town. There were nicer bars to go to, more expensive and classy ones, so why on Earth choose one that he was certain was infested by rats? Luhan slapped his arm, the elder’s hand cold from the beer he had just been holding. “That’s that guy from the park!” he exclaimed, but his voice was hushed.  
    Yixing looked down the line of men to find a purple-haired one at the end, he was at least a head shorter than his colleagues, even when sitting. “Oh, your bank.”  
    Luhan was explaining to Tao about how this pastel-haired, rich man was his current interest. The blond chuckled and set down his glass before resting his chin on his intertwined fingers. “Why don’t you go up to him?”  
    The eldest almost spit out his drink, motioning to his body. “In _this_?” He showed off his Puma sweatpants and beat up tennis shoes with furrowed eyebrows.  
    “Trust me, Lu, he won’t care,” Tao grinned.  
    Yixing’s cell phone rang in his pocket as Luhan stood up. He glanced down at the screen to find Zhixiang’s name and photo, hesitating as he slid his thumb and accepted the call. “Hello?”  
    “Hey, Xing. Are you at home?”  
    “No, I’m with friends.” He kept himself from disclosing his location. The last time Zhixiang found that he was at a bar, the elder didn’t leave his side for a week, out of fear that Yixing had flirted with another person, or even went home with them.  
    “Ah, well, I just got home. That journalist really is a piece of work. I can’t believe he hasn’t done modeling before.”  
    Yixing stood up and quietly told Tao that he would be back before heading outside of the bar, not minding Luhan who was currently trying to break the ice with that man. It had started sprinkling, but it wasn’t enough to make Yixing run for cover. He sat on the curb outside of the bar, his elbows dropping to his knees as he held his cellphone against his ear. “Is he handsome?”  
    “Very. I’ve never seen a jawline like that before.”  
    The statement made Yixing’s own hand trace against his jaw. “What was the interview about?”  
    “Oh, he didn’t interview me today. He sat in on one of the conferences.”  
    Yixing jumped slightly when the door to the bar swung open, his first instinct was to stand up and turn towards it. A few of the rich men were leaving, only a couple of them visibly tipsy. He sighed and pulled his phone away to check the time. “Can I talk to you when I get home?” he asked.  
    “Of course. I’ll talk to you then, baby. I love you.”  
    “I love you too.”  
    One last goodbye was shared before the call ended, and Yixing slipped the device back into his pocket. He pushed open the door to the bar and walked inside, finding Luhan had situated himself next to the purple-haired man. He watched as he made his way back to the booth, seeing Luhan shyly begin to pick up a conversation. Tao was observing it like it was a romance movie. “He’s clearly into this guy,” Tao announced when Yixing sat down, “I’ve never seen him actually take time in his approach.”  
    “I never noticed.”  
    “Luhan’s the type to find his prey and get a quick fuck.”  
    Yixing shrugged his shoulders and peered into the drink his friends had ordered for him. They insisted that he should at least drink _something_ , and he was concerned by the pink color of the liquid. He didn’t like fruity drinks. “When was the last time he had a steady relationship?” Yixing asked.  
    “That Jackson guy, from high school,” Tao waved his hand in the air, and accompanied the gesture with an eyeroll, “The _I want to spend my life with you but I’m gonna fuck a couple of cheerleaders behind your back and then tell the school you're queer_ guy.”  
    Yixing peered up at the blond. “Seriously? That was, what, eight years ago?”  
    Tao nodded his head. “Sad, huh? Even you and me have had more romance in our lives.”  
    Yixing sank back against the uncomfortable vinyl seat. “Yeah.”  
    “How are you and Zhixiang?”  
    “We’re good.”  
    Tao tilted his head and smiled, playing with the straw in his cup. “C’mon, Yixing, I have the right to know. Without me, you wouldn’t have met each other. What business would you have with a guy a decade older than you, without me?”  
    Yixing rolled his eyes and sat up to rest his elbows on the tabletop. “There’s nothing you need to know. Nothing’s changed, really, since the last time you asked.”  
    “Is it some weird kink thing that you can’t talk about him?” Tao asked, sounding serious in his question.  
    “No, Tao.”  
    “Okay, so clearly, there’s something wrong. You shouldn’t be so bent up on the topic.”  
    He let out a frustrated sigh. “Yeah. Okay. Something’s wrong.”  
    “Seriously?” Tao’s perfectly groomed eyebrows lifted up. “Well, tell me.”  
    “Zhixiang’s… he’s really sweet. Don’t get me wrong. I really love him. Sometimes it just feels… wrong? I guess?”  
    “Did something happen?”  
    Yixing shook his head. “It isn’t anything new. He’s been paying for me since we started dating, but back then he had a reason to,” he said, thinking back on how he was two years ago. He didn’t have a very good job, and he had to rely on Zhixiang to make it through. “But I don’t see why he insists so much now. I can’t even buy a coffee on my own.”  
    “Sounds like you have a sugar daddy, so why are you complaining about it?’  
    “I’m not a materialistic person, Tao. I’m sure you’d love a relationship like this.”  
    “Mhm. Free stuff, and good sex,” he looked at Yixing suddenly, biting his tongue. “It is good sex, right?”  
    “Can we not talk about this?”  
    “Right, sorry. You’re not as open as Luhan is. He’ll tell me the entire rundown.”  
    “Fantastic,” Yixing sighed as he finally took a sip of the pink concoction before him. It was more bitter than anything, making Yixing’s lips pucker as he quickly swallowed it down. Luhan’s muddy blond hair popped into his view, followed by a smile molded onto the older man’s lips. He slid into his seat next to Yixing and let out a big sigh. “So?” Tao started.  
    “I got his number. He said he’s got to get going because he has work tomorrow,” Luhan related to them, slapping down a folded napkin on the tabletop. It had numbers smeared on it with blue ink. “Can you imagine? A working man. That’s hot.”  
    Tao snickered and nodded his head, throwing a glance towards Yixing, who was more preoccupied in trying to gulp down his glass of toxin. “Yixing knows all about that.”  
    “Why are you trying to pull me into the conversation?” Yixing droned, running his tongue against his lips.  
    “Because you’re not happy, and Luhan is. That’s _rare_. And I don’t like it,” Tao said as he pushed the cup away from Yixing. “Luhan shouldn’t be the one in a good relationship.”  
    “Getting someone’s number is not the same as being in a relationship.”  
    “You know what I mean. Yixing, you’re the only one of us that’s been sleeping with the same person more than once.”  
    “What point are you trying to get at?” Yixing asked, resting his chin against his palm as he looked Tao in the eyes. He couldn’t see what was going through his head, as he normally could. Tao was typically as easy to read as a children’s book. But now, he was a foreign language that Yixing didn’t know. He shook his head and reached for the water glass the waiter had just set onto the table. “What does my romantic life have to do with you guys?”  
    “I care about you, Yixing, I really do,” Tao hummed, sitting back. “When you and Zhixiang started dating, it was different.”  
    Luhan chimed in, “It could be that they’re both growing up.”  
    “You know you don’t have to stay in one relationship forever, Yixing.”  
    “I know.”

***

    It was rude to think, but Yixing was thankful when Tao called to say he was heading back home. Though he loved to see his friend, he was better off not having to see him all the time. He had enough on his plate dealing with Luhan so often, that Tao visiting every once in awhile made his appetite for petty complaints overflow. Zhixiang chuckled when Yixing hung up the phone. “Tao’s going home?” he asked as Yixing dropped his cellphone on the table and nuzzled back into the crook of the elder’s side.  
    “I guess so. He said he has somewhere to be, it’s probably something for work,” Yixing affirmed, closing his eyes as his cheek rested against Zhixiang’s chest.  
    “He’s a crazy kid,” Zhixiang muttered, pressing a kiss to the top of Yixing’s head.  
    “He gets on my nerves.”  
    “You still love him.”  
    “I do.”  
    Zhixiang shifted slightly, sitting up straight. It made Yixing’s head fall from its support, causing the younger to look up at him. A smile was on Zhixiang’s lips, and his thumb had found its way to Yixing’s. He traced his chapped lips gently before pulling him closer for a chaste kiss. Zhixiang’s hand traveled to the back of Yixing’s neck, and the younger found his own hands falling to the elder’s thighs for support. The kiss was over as quickly as it started, Zhixiang pulling away to have his straightener-fried fringe tickle against Yixing’s face. A soft confession of love was shared between them before they dived in for another kiss, this one deeper. Yixing’s hands scrambled against Zhixiang’s shirt, gripping it as the elder’s mouth came to his neck. Instead of kissing his sensitive skin, he blew on it. Yixing almost screamed, falling back against the arm of the couch as his shoulder hit his ear, covering the delicate area from any further attack. It didn’t help, as Zhixiang followed him down, breaking through the barrier and kissing any skin he could. Yixing’s hands held onto the back of the elder’s shirt, a low moan retreating from his throat when he kissed under his ear. “Zhixiang,” he whined out, rubbing his hand on the other’s back, “I’m tired.” In all honesty, Yixing just wanted to lay on his boyfriend’s chest, watch a movie, and fall asleep in his arms. He didn’t expect something else.  
    Zhixiang immediately pulled back, straddling Yixing. He gave him another soft kiss. “I’m not.”  
    He glanced up at him, seeing the fire that was ready to light in Zhixiang’s light brown eyes. He couldn’t watch when the elder caught his lip between his teeth, turning his head to the side.  
    “Please, Yixing?”  
    “Zhixiang…”  
    “It’ll be quick.”  
    Yixing looked up at the other, at first only staring into his eyes. His gaze travelled down, and then he sighed. He rubbed his hand along Zhixiang’s forearm. “Let me do it then.”  
    “What do you mean?”  
    “For you, I mean. I’ll do it for you.”  
    Zhixiang pulled away to give Yixing some space, sitting next to him rather than hovering above. He watched Yixing like he was prey, following the younger’s hand as it unzipped his jeans. Then his hand slipped in, and nothing else mattered.

 

    Yixing had left the bedroom in the middle of the night with his cell phone in his hand, sitting down on the couch and curling his legs beneath him before pressing Luhan’s contact. It rang on the other end for quite awhile before a tired voice greeted him, “Why are you calling? It’s like, midnight.”  
    Yixing sighed and traced the sewn edges of the sofa. “Honestly… I don’t know. I just felt like I needed to talk to someone.”  
    “You have your boyfriend.”  
    “I can’t really talk about my boyfriend to my boyfriend.”  
    Luhan’s voice changed, like life came to him, “What happened?”  
    “Nothing. I just, I don’t know what to do anymore, I guess. This has been eating at me for awhile.”  
    “Do you want to break up with him?  
    “I don’t know,” he huffed. He shifted and pulled his legs against his chest. “It’s okay to not know, right?”  
    “Of course it is,” Luhan replied, and Yixing could hear the shuffling of his sheets over the line, “Don’t feel like you’re forced to stay in the relationship. You know that I thought he was going to take advantage of you, but I really know now that he isn’t.”  
    “Is it because he’s getting older, do you think?”  
    “Could be a reason,” there was a snicker, “Maybe you’re getting old. You need fresh meat.”  
    “Shut up.”  
    “I need to go back to sleep, Yixing. I’ll talk to you later.”  
    Yixing said his farewell, albeit hesitantly, and ended the call. He leaned his head against the back of the couch and shut his eyes. He could hear rain dripping on the windows, and wheels from passing cars kicking water onto the curb. He fell asleep to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey... by the way... i have a twitter,,  
> i'm more active here than in my real life, it's a bit sad  
> [come give me love on twitter](http://twitter.com/gothyifan)


	3. 03.

**_“You look really_** handsome,” Zhixiang whispered into Yixing’s ear as they walked into the restaurant, his hand resting on the small of his back. Yixing thanked him with a small smile as he looked down at his outfit, a pure white suit with tan dress shoes, all picked out specifically by his boyfriend. His typically soft bowl of hair was pulled back with gel, revealing the shaved sides, and the single silver earring on his left ear. He was normally a humble person, never taking compliments immediately, but he had to admit--he really did look handsome. It was a stark contrast to the clothes he often wore. The long table the couple was escorted to already sat some men, only a few that Yixing could actually recognize. They all wore suits that could pay Yixing’s rent for three years, and he suddenly felt underdressed (even though, Zhixiang had bought him a rather expensive suit and shoes). Zhixiang pulled out a chair for Yixing to sit before settling next to him, his hand already finding Yixing’s on the table. “You can order anything you want. Get the most expensive drink you can, if you want,” Zhixiang said simply with a smile.  
    Yixing nodded, but internally sighed. He would probably end up getting a salad and a single glass of water. He stared down at the menu before he saw Zhixiang stand out of the corner of his eye, finding him bowing before shaking the hands of a couple of men. Yixing smiled and stood to bow slightly, Zhixiang already introducing them. “This is Wu Lei and Wu Yifan,” he said, then smiled. “They’re not relatives, but we do call them the Wu brothers.”  
    “Nice to meet you two,” Yixing smiled, bowing his head again, “I’m Zhang Yixing.”  
    Zhixiang gestured to the taller of the two, whose brown hair was slicked with gel. A black turtleneck sat under his blue suit. “Yifan is the journalist who I was telling you about.”  
    Yifan held out his large hand over the table for Yixing to shake, which he gladly accepted. “I haven’t been working with Zhixiang for awhile, but it’s been great.”  
    Yixing couldn’t help the smile that floated to his lips when he saw Yifan speak, his lips curved into a very gummy smile. “What exactly do you do for the company?”  
    “I’m writing articles for some magazines. Wo Chen is really rising up in the country right now, so it’s my job to give it more publicity,” Yifan leaned his chin on his palm. “What do you do for a living, Yixing? Zhixiang doesn’t really have the time to talk about you to me.”  
    “I’m a dance instructor at the college,” he replied. It wasn’t exactly as glorious as working at a fashion design firm, but it wasn’t like he was going to lie.  
    Yifan smiled, and Yixing just had to smile back.

    The night rolled on with talking and laughter across the whole table, everyone talking in small groups with the people around him. Zhixiang did most of the talking, either to Wu Lei or the others around him, but he occasionally started a conversation with Yixing and Yifan. Other than that, Yixing and Yifan only spoke to each other. Since Yixing had no knowledge of his boyfriend’s job, he didn’t have much to add to the topics that the others talked about. Yifan didn’t mind. Even with his styled hair and expensive suit, he seemed like a normal person to him. None of his boyfriend’s other co-workers put that impression on him. “Where are you from, Yixing?" Yifan asked after taking a sip of his white wine.  
    “Changsha.”  
    “What are you doing in Shanghai, then?”  
    Yixing swirled his wine around the glass. “It’s kind of a long story.”  
    “I’m all ears.”  
    Yixing smiled at him. “Originally I came here for college. I was going to go home after graduating, but I reunited with some of my friends, and one of them introduced me to Zhixiang, and the rest is history,” Yixing took a sip then put the glass down, “Where are you from?”  
    “Guangzhou.”  
    He grinned, “What are _you_ doing in Shanghai?”  
    “Well, mine’s a little long too.”  
    “You have the floor.”  
    “I moved to Canada when I was young, and after college I decided to move here. I felt like I could make it with journalism and photography here more than in Guangzhou.”  
    “ _Oooh_ , so you speak English?”  
    Yifan nodded.  
    “Yixing,” Zhixiang’s voice was in his ear, and Yixing realized he was smiling rather wide. He looked over at the elder with a his lips falling back into a straight line. “Do you want another glass of wine?” he asked.  
    “Um,” he looked at the wine glass, the purple liquid already gone, “I guess so.”  
    Zhixiang laughed under his breath, “You get talkative when you drink. Keep that in mind, Yifan.”  
    Yifan laughed lightly before turning back to Yixing, “You’re already pretty talkative with just one drink.”  
    “Maybe I just like to talk to you.”  
    The chuckle from the taller man made Yixing’s heart speed up.

***

    “You should have gotten his number,” Luhan said through the cereal he was crunching on, lounging on Yixing’s couch. The younger bounced his leg in the chair next to him, staring at the television that was playing a soccer match.  
    “I have a boyfriend,” Yixing muttered at the idea.  
    “So? You have other guys’ numbers in your phone already,” the elder remarked, dropping his bowl onto the table. “Are you worried Zhixiang’s gonna get possessive or something?”  
    “Kind of.”  
    Luhan scowled and sat up on the couch, kicking his feet onto the tabletop. “Just break up with him already.”  
    “Can you not, Luhan?” Yixing spat, eyes narrowing at the elder, “You’ve never been in a real relationship before.”  
    “Well, _excuse me_. I thought you wanted my advice.”  
    “Not when your advice is stupid.”  
    “You know, I’m really hurt.”  
    Yixing let out an annoyed puff of air and collapsed back into the loveseat, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t know what to do, and he was really starting to get sick of saying that out loud. He loved Zhixiang. He _really_ did. He really did. He told himself this every time he doubted their relationship. He knew Zhixiang loved him more than anything in the world, and he knew the elder always cared about his happiness.  
    When Yixing was twenty-two, being with Zhixiang was like being a teenager that was just stricken with love. He was like a puppy following the elder around and dedicating himself to him. At that time, Yixing was something of a beggar. He would plead with Zhixiang to help him with payments. He would even urge the elder to buy him more material things, but it was honestly things Yixing needed. The elder had bought him his current guitar, and numerous other things to better his career. Back then, Yixing didn’t think much on how he would always end up in bed with Zhixiang after a purchase. It wasn’t until they were further along in their relationship that he first heard the term “sugar daddy” from Tao. Then he realized that the relationship probably wasn’t only about love.  
    “There’s a soccer game on Saturday. Maybe you should come and volunteer. Could get your mind off Zhixiang and this Yifan guy for a bit,” Luhan announced, shaking Yixing from his thoughts.  
    “Sure.”  
    “I can introduce you to Minseok, too,” the sandy blond grinned.  
    “And who is that?”  
    “My future lover, remember? He’s Korean. I thought there was something off about his Mandarin.”  
    “Why is he coming to a youth soccer match?” Yixing asked, glancing at the elder.  
    Luhan jumped up on the sofa, curling up with his legs beneath him. Yixing and Tao always called this his gossip stance. “He’s super sweet. He barely uses his money for himself. He donates a lot of it to charity. So, when I told him what I do, he asked if there was anyone he could help,” Luhan grinned, “He’s so sweet, Yixing! I want to suck his dick.”  
    He rolled his eyes, so far back he bet Luhan could only see the whites of them. “What’s his job, anyway?”  
    “Well. He may or may not work for _Wo Chen_ and he may or may not be Zhixiang’s superior.”  
    Yixing threw the remote at him.

***

    The rain that had been giving everyone trouble in the recent days luckily subsided on that Saturday, but the field was still muddy as Yixing made his way across it. The blue awnings held tables of water bottles and snacks, and some had fliers to invite sign-ups for the next season. Luhan was already there, and so was his lilac-haired “bank”. When Yixing got to the tent, Luhan was uncharacteristically happy. “Yixing! You actually came!,” he gestured to Minseok, who was a good couple of centimeters shorter than Luhan, “This is Minseok.”  
    “Yixing,” he smiled as he shook the shorter man’s hand.  
    “You’re Luhan’s best friend, huh. He said you’re a dance instructor?”  
    “Yeah, that’s me,” he nodded, a short sigh leaving him.  
    “Do you want to put out some more water bottles? I need to talk to the team,” Luhan interrupted, jutting his thumb to the few kids who were kicking around their balls, “The game starts in ten minutes.”  
    Minseok and Yixing both nodded and moved to tear open another flat of bottles.

    “So how did you meet Luhan?” Minseok chimed as they sat in the fabric folding chairs, watching as Luhan blew a whistle to initiate the game.  
    “We went to summer camp together. I think I was ten? We were in the same cabin, and everyone else was older than us, so we buddied up. Same with our other friend, Tao, he was like, seven or eight.”  
    “Wow, so you’ve been friends with him for almost your whole life.”  
    “Pretty much,” Yixing smiled, “Couldn’t imagine not having him in my life, to be honest.”  
    Minseok smiled too, and turned to watch the game. “That’s sweet.”  
    “So why did you decide to hang out with him?” Yixing asked. As soon as it left his mouth, he regretted it.  
    Minseok shrugged his shoulders, a lazy grin on his lips. “He seems really nice. I’d love to get to know him better.”  
    There was a lot Yixing wanted to say against that. Especially since he knew a lot about Luhan’s sexual escapades. But he held his tongue. Best not to ruin Luhan’s life anymore.

***

    Yixing laid back in Zhixiang’s bed with his phone screen illuminating the dark room. He didn’t know why, but his body brought him to his boyfriend’s home rather than his own. His plush, Queen-sized bed sounded a lot more inviting than his own anyway. His thumbs danced across the screen as Zhixiang shifted in bed. The elder wasn’t asleep, Yixing could tell, so he didn’t mind the cool light that Yixing was trying to hide from his face. He texted Luhan: _I approve of Minseok._  
    The elder’s reply came only a few breaths after: _Thanks, Mom._  
    _I’m serious. He wants to get to know you better. Go out on a real date with him soon._  
    Can you come with me?  
    Yixing laughed softly. _What am I, your wingman?_  
    _No. I don’t want to go out with him on a real date yet, you know? If I invite him along with you, it’ll be okay._  
    _Whatever happened to your confidence, Xiao Lu?_  
   _Don’t mock me. I’ll text you details tomorrow._

    Yixing woke up late in the morning to a kiss on the forehead. When he opened his eyes, Zhixiang wasn’t there, and he assumed the elder had rushed out, late for work. His cellphone was almost vibrating its way off the nightstand before Yixing caught it, finding that Luhan kept his promise of texting him the plans.  
    _Minseok loves comfort food! He’s so cute._  
    _This is good too. I can’t let him know that I can’t afford anything fancy._  
    _We’re going to that old dumpling shop in downtown._  
    _Be ready by one! We’ll see you there._  
    Yixing glanced at the clock and found he only had half an hour to get ready and walk across the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's!! the boy!! wu yifan in all his glory!!  
> I think you can tell when I originally wrote this, based on the suit yifan is wearing... when's the second season of 72 floors of mystery so we can get more nice yifan looks?


	4. 04.

_**“I am so**_ sorry that I’m late,” Yixing exclaimed as he came closer to the shop, seeing Luhan and Minseok sitting outside. The blond turned his head and ushered Yixing to sit next to him, which he gladly did. He had practically ran all the way to the restaurant, leaving his breath hitching. “Wake up late, or something?” Luhan questioned.  
    “Yeah, exactly,” he responded, practically downing the glass of water waiting for him. “Did you guys already order food?”  
    “Minseok made me wait for you.”  
    Yixing thanked the purple-haired one before finally finding his regular pace of breath. He glanced at the limited menu on the table before deciding what he wanted. Luhan and Minseok were continuing whatever conversation they were having before Yixing showed up, making him question why his friend wanted him there if he was just going to be ignored.  
    “Are you guys ready to order?” came the waiter’s voice, causing Yixing to look up. He almost choked on the water he hadn’t yet swallowed. “Oh, hey Yixing,” the waiter said, that gummy smile on his lips again. “Fancy seeing you here.”  
    Yixing coughed before swallowing down more water from his cup. Wu Yifan--the attractive, sharply-dressed journalist and photographer that he met at an expensive restaurant the night before--worked at a dumpling shop.  
    How the _fuck_ -  
    “You know each other?” Luhan asked, an eyebrow arched.  
    “Looks like we both know him,” Minseok added, bowing his head slightly to Yifan, who returned the gesture almost instantaneously. “I didn’t know you worked here, Yifan.”  
    “I can’t really survive as just a journalist. Hard to make ends meet when you can easily get your article rejected,” the tall man smiled. “So, can I get you guys anything?”  
    Yixing was staring at him, and he really hoped it wasn’t obvious. His brown hair looked so soft when it wasn’t being tamed by gel, and his simple dress shirt and that apron that hugged his waist seemed to fit him so much better than that blue suit had. When Yifan looked at him to prompt his order, Yixing scrambled to act as if he was looking at the menu in deep interest. His voice cracked when he said what he wanted, and he mentally slapped himself for that.  
    “Great, I’ll get those right out,” he said, dropping the notepad into the pocket on his apron before heading back inside the tiny shop. Yixing let out a sharp breath before looking at Luhan, the elder’s eyes wide. “ _That_ was Yifan?” Luhan smacked his arm, “Holy shit, dude! Nice one!”  
    Yixing was still in awe. He thought _Wo Chen_ paid well, as his boyfriend was practically rich, so seeing one of their employees working two jobs was strange. He was sure no one else had to keep two jobs.

***

    Luhan was absolutely disgusting.  Yixing came to this decision when the elder gave Minseok a hug before the purple-haired man got into his car. Luhan was never romantic, never lovey-dovey, and definitely never one to give hugs. Yixing couldn’t even remember the last time Luhan so much as touched him, so seeing his friend so easily connect with someone disgusted him. The floating look on Luhan’s face after Minseok drove away wasn’t helping him, either. “Okay,” Luhan announced as they settled back in the seating area of the dumpling shop, neither of them really wanting to walk home yet, “I think I’m in love.”  
    “You met him, what, three weeks ago?”  
    “Yeah,” Luhan smiled.  
    “You’re infatuated. You’re not in love,” Yixing insisted, “You’re not going to be like this once you sleep with him.”  
    Luhan wagged his finger in front of the younger’s face, “Don’t be so sure, my sweet Yixing. Maybe I’ve changed for the better.”  
    “Change back before I leave the country and never see you again.”  
    “You’re so mean to me.”  
    “Only when you deserve it.”  
    Luhan grinned and leaned back in the chair as Yifan once again approached the table. “You guys are back? Do you want something else?”  
    Shaking his head, Luhan answered before Yixing could, “Neither of us really want to go home,” he shot a glance at Yixing, then smiled up at the tall brunet. “Why don’t you sit and talk with us? It seems like the shop isn’t getting any activity.”  
    Yifan shrugged his shoulders and pulled out the seat next to Yixing, and the black-haired male glared daggers into his friend across the way.  
    “How do you know Yixing?” Luhan inquired.  
    “Zhixiang introduced me. Some people from the company had dinner last night,” Yifan glanced at Yixing, who was scratching his nail into the grain of the wooden table, “I’m Yifan, by the way.”  
    “Luhan,” he smiled, shaking the taller’s hand, “Yixing’s best friend and right hand man. If you need any gossip about him, come to me for it.”  
    “Don’t do that. He spreads false information,” Yixing enjoined.  
    A chuckle left Yifan, and Yixing wanted to die right then and there. He knew Luhan was going to drag this on for as long as possible. “Other than a liar, what do you do, Luhan?”  
    “I coach kids in soccer. I had dreams of making it big, but you know. Unreachable.”  
    Yifan let out a sigh and nodded, “I actually know exactly what you mean. I was really into basketball when I was younger, but I just couldn’t make it. I got an injury too.”  
    Yixing looked over at Yifan, and actually looked at him instead of shying away. His profile was striking, and Zhixiang was definitely right about his jawline. But Yixing could see through those sharp features, Yifan was really hurt by not continuing in a career with basketball. He couldn’t imagine himself giving up on dancing, so he couldn’t begin to feel how Yifan must have. Someone stepped out of the shop, someone who looked younger than all of them, and just around the height of Minseok. His catlike mouth seemed like it was always smiling, “Yifan, can you help me clean up?” he asked. Yifan complied and stood up, saying his farewells to Luhan and Yixing before disappearing into the shop.  
    Luhan kicked Yixing’s leg hard under the table. “Fuck him, immediately. I don’t give two shits about your relationship with Zhixiang. He’s _hot._ ”  
    Yixing kicked him back with just under the same strength, not able to match the soccer player’s power. “Fuck. You,” he growled.  
    The elder pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’m telling Tao about this.”  
    Yixing stood up abrupting, the legs of the chair scraping against the ground loudly. “I’m going home.”  
    “Yixing!”  
    He didn’t mean to get so angry, but Luhan was starting to act like a complete asshole with this whole situation. He clearly didn’t have the same mindset as Yixing did, and it really made him wonder their friendship.

***

    “Are you okay, Yixing?” Zhixiang asked, intertwining their fingers as they lounged on the couch, the movie playing on the television acting as a distraction from Yixing’s thoughts. “You seem really tense,” the elder added.  
    “I’m fine,” Yixing grumbled, letting his hand fall limp under Zhixiang’s. He could tell his eyebrows were pulled together, and his jaw was locked in a frown.  
    “Did something happen today?”  
    “No. I said I’m fine.”  
    Zhixiang kissed his cheek, then his jaw, then planted a rather light one on his neck. “Yixing…” Another kiss on the neck, and his lips were getting dangerously close to the sensitive strip of skin underneath Yixing’s ear. The elder’s lips brushed against that area, causing Yixing to moan out. “Don’t lie to me, baby.”  
    “Luhan’s an asshole,” he breathed out, his hand falling on Zhixiang’s bicep. He wasn’t pushing him away, but he was ready to if he got any closer to that spot.  
    “That’s a given. What did he do?”  
    _Tell me to fuck a guy that wasn’t you._ “Nothing really. He’s just a jerk,” Yixing lied through his clamped teeth.  
    Zhixiang licked up his neck, and Yixing almost squeaked out of surprise. “Do you want to get your mind off it?”  
    “Yes.”

    It felt good, but it didn’t feel right, and it was the first time Yixing felt that way after having sex with Zhixiang. The feeling scared him. It felt wrong. It didn’t feel like it meant anything, especially after what Zhixiang had bought for him when he had gotten home. He didn’t need new clothes, but Zhixiang had a cool purple bomber jacket waiting for him. Yixing knew it was expensive, since he had been looking at it online. As he thought about that, lying naked next to Zhixiang felt wrong. The heat from the elder’s body felt wrong. The love bite on his neck felt wrong. The fact that Yifan was in his head when he came down from his high felt wrong. Zhixiang’s arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer, his lips warm against his neck as the elder pressed a delicate kiss to his skin. When Zhixiang confessed his love to him, he feigned being asleep.

***

    “I don’t know, Luhan,” he muttered into the phone as he walked into the dance room. “I’ve never been the one to initiate a breakup before.”  
    “You’ve had one boyfriend and one girlfriend before. You should know something about it.”  
    “Both of those were mutual. Plus, neither of us even actually broke up in one of them. She moved to America. We’re still technically together if you think about it.”  
    “Who knows? Maybe Zhixiang wants to break up too. Maybe he thinks you’re still falling for him, so he can’t break it off.”  
    “I doubt that,” he grumbled before checking the time, “I’ll talk to you later.”  
    “Think about it, Yixing. If you’ve made the decision that you do want to break it off with him, then you just need to put it into action.”  
    Yixing hummed before hanging up the phone. He stared at his reflection in the mirror before rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Luhan was right. He was far enough to know that he didn’t want to be in a relationship with Zhixiang any longer, but he really didn’t think he had the guts to do anything about it. He always thought of himself as a person willing to stick himself into a niche, and just let it be. He went with the flow of things. It was a lot like how he danced, when he really thought about it. He just let the music take his body. He assumed he was letting Zhixiang do the same thing.

    Yixing almost spat out his water when he retrieved his cell phone after class. The text that lit up the screen almost gave him a heart attack: _Hey Yixing, it’s Yifan. Luhan gave me your number._  
    He dismissed the message, making sure not to accidentally open it, and immediately slammed his thumb onto Luhan’s contact. He didn’t even let Luhan say hello before he was yelling into the receiver. “You gave him my number?” he wailed, “How the hell do you even have his number?”  
    “I got it from Minseok. Listen, if you’re breaking up with Zhixiang-”  
    “You’re so stupid, Luhan!”  
    “Listen buddy, you clearly have the hots for Yifan. Why not try it out? He seems, at least, a little into you, too.”  
    “How do you know if he’s even into guys?”  
    “Birds of a feather flock together,” Luhan sang, “He’s friends with Minseok. Minseok’s gay. Come on, man. You should know this is how it happens. You’re friends with me and Tao.”  
    He let out a little whine before grabbing his stuff and heading out the door, tucking his cell phone between his shoulder and ear. “Did you initiate it? Or did he ask you?”  
    “He asked me. I was surprised too.”  
    “What did he say?”  
    “Something like, ‘Yixing seems cool. I’d like to talk to him again.’”  
    “I seem cool? I almost choked when I saw him.”  
    “Yeah. _Cool_ ,” Luhan mocked, “You’re so weird, Yixing.”  
    “Why? How?” he asked when he got outside, making his way to his old car.  
    “How are you dropping a rich, older man, who gives you whatever you ask for, for this soul food southern guy?”  
    “If you’ve forgotten, I’m from the south too. _And_ Zhixiang is Taiwanese.”  
    “Still. Seems like a drastic change.”  
    Yixing ducked into his car and started the engine. “I don’t know either, trust me. Yifan just seems so different. I thought he was going to be part of Zhixiang’s type of crowd, since he works with _Wo Chen_ , but he isn’t like that at all. I guess it’s a nice change.”  
    “Better get to him fast before you change your mind about Zhixiang.”  
    Yixing took that into consideration as he said his goodbye and drove back to his own apartment.


	5. 05.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the comments i've been getting are so nice!! thank you all for the feedback, that truly means a lot!  
> i have such a love/hate relationship with this fic, so im glad to see so many people actually enjoy it. on the way to 500 hits!!
> 
> rip, i talked shit indirectly about a ship in this

_**Step one. Break**_ up with Zhixiang. The idea of it made Yixing’s skin crawl as he laid in bed that night, his window cracked open to let in the fresh breeze of spring air. He clutched the blanket closer to his chest as he stared into the darkness of his bedroom, finding the red numbers of the alarm clock angrily telling him it was too late for him to still be awake. He wanted to sleep, but every time his eyes shut, he couldn’t help but think of Zhixiang. He was beginning to feel guilty for having those thoughts of breaking up with the elder in his head, but he needed to listen to his heart. His heart told him that Zhixiang wasn’t the one, and he wanted his heart to tell him that was okay. It was his mind, however, that was screaming at him. Yixing was too passive of a person to cause any harm or unhappiness for anyone.

***

    Yixing felt his heart skip when he walked into the offices Zhixiang worked in. He expected it to be done up, but he wasn’t expecting a waterfall to greet him in the reception area. The perky girl at the desk greeted him with a paper white smile when he questioned what floor Luo Zhixiang would be on, and she gleefully answered, pointing down the hall in the direction of the elevator. His hands felt clammy as he pressed the button to call for the lift, but he definitely felt as if his new bomber jacket made him look like he knew what this place was all about. The ding of the doors opening sent him immediately into the rather large elevator, and up to the sixth floor.

    “Oh, Yixing!” came a cheerful voice when he walked onto the floor, the glass doors before him etched beautifully with cursive that read _WO CHEN DESIGN._ He had his hand on the gold colored handle when he turned his head, finding a colleague of Zhixiang’s he had met long ago. He put a smile on his face and bowed to the older man. “Hello, Hong Lei.”  
    “I haven’t seen you in so long! How have you been?”  
    Yixing took the hand offered to him and let the elder lead their handshake with a smile. “I’ve been good. I heard you got the promotion you really wanted?”  
    The man smiled, and Yixing couldn’t help but follow when he saw the way his thin eyes lit up. “Finally superior to Piggy. Feels good.”  
    “Seems like everyone’s making their way past Zhixiang,” he sighed. He did realize that his boyfriend’s job wasn’t like that of his coworkers. While most of them were finding clients and endorsing their products, Zhixiang and his team were actually designing the clothes. The only way Hong Lei was superior to him was in his title; his job wasn’t anything compared to Zhixiang’s. “I’ll see you some other time,” Yixing said with a smile, bowing his head to the other before opening the door.

    His first instinct was to disregard everyone else and venture out into the floor in search of his beau. He felt foreign in the offices, surrounded by abstract art and furniture he was sure cost more than his parents’ home. The seating area at the entrance of the floor offered him two directions, on the wall in gold text. He could go left for conference rooms and offices, or go right for workplaces and supply rooms. He was at a standstill, not knowing where to go. He hadn’t expected the floor to be so large, but he guessed that was the way architecture worked; buildings always tended to seem smaller than what they actually held within. As he heard footsteps, dull on the carpeted floor but still prominent, he felt his heart rush, acting as if he was interested in the complementary cucumber and raspberry water that waited in the seating area. His breath caught in his throat when he heard a very familiar voice behind him. “Yixing? I didn’t know you were coming today.”  
    Yixing turned around with a smile, the small plastic cup he was holding almost freezing his hand. The flavored water was refreshing to his desert-like throat. “Thought I’d stop by.”  
    It took him a few moments to realize that Zhixiang was not alone in front of him, and it also took him a moment to realize, _wow._ Yifan really was tall. The elder man didn’t look like he had at the dumpling shop, his hair put in place with gel once again. He wore a smart dress shirt with black slacks that hugged his long legs well. The gummy smile on his lips made Yixing down the rest of his water. “Yifan was going to take some pictures of the work rooms, do you want to come?” Zhixiang asked.  
    Yixing nodded, and he couldn’t help but feel awkward as he walked in between the two, his fingers intertwined with Zhixiang’s even though he longed to have contact with Yifan.

    Yixing couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting to Yifan almost every second. The moment he would look away, he found himself already staring again. The taller man had a Canon camera in his large hands, gripping it gently as he held it up to his eye. Yixing didn’t care to look at the subject of his photos, instead opting to admire the photographer. The way his lips curled up with the shutter of the camera, his eyebrows arching when he looked down at the screen, Yixing was falling hard and he didn’t want to. He watched as Zhixiang approached Yifan, looking over his shoulder to preview the photos before giving him a smile. “Come look at these, Yixing. You have an eye for composition,” the eldest said.  
    Yixing pushed away from the wall and looked at the small screen on the camera, seeing the photos were of the drafting tables before them in the room, cluttered with magazines and fabric. He nodded his head. “It looks natural, I guess,” he glanced up at Yifan, then pried his eyes away to look at Zhixiang, “It doesn’t look like you’re trying to show off something that isn’t real.”

***

    Zhixiang’s office was as clean and pristine as his home. The wide windows showcased the city below them, and invited April sunshine inside. Yixing hadn’t expected to be eating greasy fast food in such a richly decorated place, nor did he expect to be doing so with both Zhixiang and Yifan. The low table in the center of the office was spread with wrappers and boxes, Yixing and Yifan sitting on the ground across from each other while Zhixiang sat on one of the leather couches. Yifan’s long legs tapped gently against Yixing’s, and he glanced towards the other as he bit down on an overly salted French fry. “Thanks for getting lunch, Yifan,” Zhixiang said from above them, “I honestly don’t know the last time I ate food like this.”  
    “No problem. Can’t eat lobster and caviar every day,” Yifan joked.  
    Yixing had to smile at that. Yifan wasn’t snobby, like some of the others working for the company. He knew how to joke around, and it wasn’t like he had a stick perpetually shoved up his ass. It was a fresh change. “Do you like that jacket, Yixing?” Zhixiang asked.  
    Yixing glanced down at himself, the purple bomber sitting on him snuggly. The white, one-eyed face on the breast of it stared back at him, the English phrase on the other side, “World Gone Mad”, made him nod. “Yeah, I was planning on getting it for myself. Thank you.”  
    “Does your job pay well, Yixing?” Yifan then questioned.  
    “I’m a teacher. You’ve probably heard enough about teachers complaining about their income.”  
    “Money’s not your motivator, huh?”  
    He stopped eating at that, dropping his hands to his lap. He was definitely right. Money wasn’t his motivator at all. “I guess not. I’m glad to be teaching people. I love dancing, so seeing other people loving it makes me happy.”  
    That smile on Yifan’s lips made Yixing melt into the floor. “You could probably be in some cool dance company, but you’d prefer to help others.”  
    Yixing caught Zhixiang looking at the two of them, and he felt the heat of his cheeks creep down to his neck. He shouldn’t be getting so affected by Yifan. He was dating Zhixiang, after all. And dating Zhixiang was the reason he wasn’t in a big dance company. He was given the opportunity, by a company in South Korea, but turned it down when he met Zhixiang. He regretted it, in a lot of ways. But he never dared to say that Zhixiang was hindering him. It was his own choice to stay in China. Zhixiang stood up then, walking towards the door, assumingly to throw away his trash. He pressed a kiss to the top of Yixing’s head when he passed him, and then he was gone.  
    Yifan laughed at Yixing’s flustered expression, pulling one knee to his chest. “You guys are cute.”  
    Yixing didn’t know how to respond to that at all.  
    “How long have you been dating?”  
    “Two years,” he muttered, wanting to drown in the bitter soda he swallowed down.  
    The taller one smiled again, and Yixing didn’t have enough of a clear mind to realize his words as they were falling out of his mouth. “I think I want to break up with him.”  
    “Really?” the surprise in Yifan’s voice made him realize what he had said, “Why is that?”  
    Yixing leaned against the loveseat behind him, his shoulders dropping. _Because I have my eyes on someone else._ “I feel like the spark is gone.”  
    “Well, that happens to couples often. Don’t worry about it,” the other said, looking at him from across the table.  
    Yixing nodded his head and released a heavy breath, looking away from Yifan to prevent anymore unwanted words from spilling. The door opened again, and Zhixiang popped his head in. “We’ve got to get back to work, Yifan. You can stay here for awhile, if you’d like, Xing,” the eldest said before disappearing again. Yifan stood up and stretched his long limbs above his head before gathering the empty bags. Yixing stood as well, only to migrate to the couch behind him. “I get off at three, if you want to talk about anything. You have my number, too,” Yifan stated, giving Yixing one last smile before leaving the office. Yixing wanted his body to melt away when he felt his eyes lingering on the other through the glass door, long after Yifan had left his line of vision.

***

    Yixing almost spat out his water when Luhan approached him after practice was over, his wide eyes traveling over the elder’s body like he was a circus animal. “What the hell is that?” he asked, capping his bottle of water and using it to point at the shirt his friend was wearing.  
    Luhan looked down at himself, stretching the shirt so he could admire it, too. “Isn’t it _awesome_?”  
    The white jersey was covered in teal text, and the giant number seven on the back of it promptly gave away whose jersey it was. “How did you get the money for that? Who have you been selling your body to?”  
    “I haven’t been sleeping with someone. Minseok bought it for me, he said it was an early birthday present,” Luhan stated gleefully, grabbing Yixing’s water bottle, which was still being pointed at his chest.  
    “Wait, you haven’t slept with him yet?”  
    “Nope. I’m surprised with myself, too.”  
    Yixing crossed his arms over his chest as Luhan gathered his duffle bag and exited the field with him. Luhan, as Tao had very colorfully told him, wasn’t one that settled down very easily. If he wasn’t able to get into someone’s pants on the first couple of dates, he dropped them. He had been going out with Minseok for weeks. It came as a huge surprise to the dancer. “Why haven’t you?”  
    “Wow, you sound hypocritical. I thought relationships weren’t about sex.”  
    “For you, they are,” Yixing muttered as he unlocked his car, letting Luhan put his stuff in the back. The elder got into the passenger seat with a smile and cranked up the radio immediately. Yixing started the engine with a sigh, glancing over at Luhan. “Are you really that into him?”  
    “Minseok’s different than other guys I’ve been with,” Luhan announced over the loud music, then decided he made a mistake in turning it up, his fingers lazily finding the knob for volume, “I’m so used to guys seeing me and going, ‘Wow, you’re so pretty. Can I have your number?’ Minseok’s never called me pretty. And I’m the one that asked for his number. I feel like he sees me as more of a person, rather than a guy with a pretty face and a high sex drive.”  
    Yixing couldn’t help the way his lips drooped, deciding in pulling out of the parking space rather than seeing the sad look on his friend’s face. “I guess I never thought of it like that. You really don’t like to be called pretty?”  
    “Being called pretty makes me feel like a girl. Do you remember that one Korean guy? I felt like he was forcing this, this _feminine_ role on me whenever he called me pretty. I guess that’s kind of affected me, too.”  
    The younger nodded his head, glad that he had to focus on the road. Luhan’s last relationship was something he didn’t like, none of their friends did, and he knew it affected Luhan a lot. They couldn’t even mention his ex’s name without Luhan’s body tensing up. “Well,” Yixing started, clamping a hand down on Luhan’s knee, “I’m glad Minseok’s treating you right.”  
    “Anyway,” Luhan said, as if their conversation hadn’t happened, “How are you and Yifan going? Have you asked him out or anything?”  
    “I accidentally told him I want to break up with Zhixiang,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders, pulling into his typical parking space in front of his apartment building. He knew his nonchalant reaction would elicit an ecstatic one from Luhan. As they both got out of the car, Luhan definitely let the rest of the street know his presence when he exclaimed, “Step one, done!”  
    “What are you talking about? What step one?”  
    “My list of plans for you to get with Mr. Wu Yifan.”  
    “Oh, Luhan, come on,” he whined as they walked into the apartment complex, Luhan being the first to get to the elevator and push the button for the right floor. “That really isn’t necessary.”  
    “You like for things to be planned out. Afterall, who was the person to get you to talk to Zhixiang?”  
    “Tao was.”  
    “And Tao and I made this elaborate plan to get you two alone and talking. We’re your matchmakers made in Heaven, Yixing. Trust me on this.”  
    “I really don’t want to,” he muttered as they stepped out of the elevator, Luhan stealing his keys and going to unlock his door on his own. Luhan dropped his bag and kicked off his shoes in the threshold, then neatly placed them when he felt the glare radiating from Yixing. “Step one,” he continued, plopping himself onto the couch as Yixing entered the kitchen, “was to tell Yifan you didn’t want to be with Zhixiang. This way, Yifan sees that you’re going to be on the market again soon. If he’s into you, then he’s going to try and court you,” Luhan shuffled on the couch, looking over the back of it and at Yixing, who was standing in the middle of the kitchen, smiling at his phone. “Are you even listening to me?”  
    Yixing’s smile faded as his bubble popped, looking over at the elder as he pocketed his phone and opened the fridge. “Yeah, I am.”  
    “Did someone text you?”  
    “No,” he lied, but then smiled into the cool air of the fridge. Yifan had texted him, saying that he was off of work. He followed it up with one smiling emoji, and that made Yixing’s face split into a grin. He never expected Yifan to be the type to use emojis.  
    “Anyway,” Luhan grunted, turning his attention around again, “Step two is to actually get you out on a date with Yifan.”  
    Yixing closed the fridge and made his way to sit next to Luhan. The elder had already invaded the television, putting on some mindless comedy movie. “That would be cheating on Zhixiang, wouldn’t it?”  
    “Not really. It can be like, a friend date. Just to get to know each other.”  
    “What’s step three?” Yixing questioned.  
    “You break up with Zhixiang, only if you know Yifan wants to date you.”  
    “I was right that I wouldn’t like this plan,” he deadpanned, pulling his phone from his pocket. He really wished he was alone, so that he could discuss this with Yifan rather than Luhan. Afterall, Luhan wasn’t involved with the problem. A little smile floated onto his lips when he saw Yifan’s text again. He felt rude for not responding, so he quickly tapped on his screen: _I’ll have to talk to you about it later. Luhan’s a handful. Nosey._  
    “Step four, you get with Yifan, fuck him, have a fairytale wedding, the end. I’ll be your best man,” Luhan said triumphantly, his arms stretched above his head.  
    “What if I want Tao as my best man?”  
    “I can’t believe you would even _think_ that. Especially when I’m going to be the reason you’re getting married.”  
    “So, no matter who I’m getting married to, you’re going to take credit for it?”  
    “Come on, Xing. You know that’s the truth.”


	6. 06.

**I feel like** _it’s not the type of relationship I want. Or, he’s not the type of person I want to be with._  
    Yixing sent the text with a deep breath leaving his mouth, turning on his back in bed. He was hoping that Yifan didn’t mind him texting so late, but it was almost impossible for Yixing to get Luhan to leave his apartment. The elder’s complaint was that his cats didn’t keep him enough company, and that Minseok was still working. Yixing practically had to force the elder out. He let his phone fall onto his stomach, the screen on the dimmest light setting, yet it still managed to brighten his dark bedroom. He almost jumped when it vibrated against his ribs, his hand flying down to bring the screen to his face.  
    _That’s okay to think. It’s good that you know he isn’t the one for you. You’re not too far into the relationship. You don’t live together, right?_  
    Yixing felt a wave of relief when he read Yifan’s response. It seemed like the elder man had a knack for calming him down.  
    Yixing: _We don’t._  
    Yifan: _That’s good. Call it off when you feel like it’s right. You don’t need to rush anything._  
    Yixing was about to reply with his thanks, but another message popped up on the screen.  
    Yifan: _Are you free tomorrow?_  
    Yixing: _My classes are from 8 to 12, but I’m free after that._  
    Yifan: _If you want, we can hang out. You can get your mind off Zhixiang for awhile? I feel like you’re stressed about this._  
    Every ounce of blood flooded into Yixing’s cheeks, and he bit down on his lip as he slowly replied, as he didn’t want to see too desperate in his response.  
    That sounds nice.  
    Yixing finally let himself release a squeal as Yifan asked what time, what place, and what type of food Yixing liked the most.

***  
    It wasn’t a date. Yixing had to mentally punch himself when his first thought in the morning was that he was going out with Yifan. They were just hanging out, it wasn’t anything more than that. A little tinge of worry struck Yixing as he glanced at his watch, the elder had told him to meet at the dumpling restaurant at twelve-thirty, and it was getting close to the time where Yifan was running drastically late. Every bone in Yixing’s body was screaming that the taller man was blowing him off, and that he was telling Zhixiang about everything the younger had spilled to him. But, no, that couldn’t be right. That was just Yixing’s nerves getting the best of him. The dumpling shop had a few customers, the man who Yixing assumed was the owner was sweeping around the entrance. Yixing cleared his throat as he checked the time once again, taking advantage of his seat by the door to question the owner. “Yifan works here, right?” he asked the man with the broom, who looked up at him immediately.  
    “He does, why do you ask?” the man replied, leaning his chin on the tip of the broom.  
    “I was, uh, just wondering. Is he late a lot?”  
    “Never. He’s early every day, even when he’s working his other job.”  
    Yixing nodded his head and looked his phone. No messages from Yifan, but one from Zhixiang. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted.  
    _Are you okay?_  
    He was fine. He was just ticked that Yifan didn’t keep his promise.   
    Yixing responded: _Yes, why do you ask?_  
    _I tried to call you this morning and you didn’t pick up._  
    Shit. Yixing hadn’t even noticed. He was too interested in getting himself ready for what he knew wasn’t a date. Now he just felt bad.  
    _I’m sorry! I was asleep. I didn’t mean to worry you._  
    He bit the side of his cheek. Lying to Zhixiang. Again.  
    _It’s okay baby. I might not see you today because our interview is running really late. I just wanted to check up on you._  
    Interview. Yifan was supposed to interview Zhixiang, and he still hadn’t gotten the chance. That was the reason Yifan was late. He switched his messages, clicking on Yifan’s name and typing quickly.  
    _You’re not blowing me off right? I’ll wait, if you’re stuck in work still. I’m not doing anything else today._  
    He tucked his phone into his pocket and stood up, heading inside the quaint dumpling shop. It was like any hole-in-the-wall restaurant, the owner was standing behind a small counter with his eyes on the tiny, ancient TV sitting on a shelf mounted to the wall. “Do you want to order?” he asked, eyes flicking towards Yixing.  
    Yixing shook his head and sat at one of the small tables. “Can I wait inside for Yifan? He told me to meet him here.”  
    “Yeah, sure. Friends with him?”  
    “Yeah,” he nodded slowly, “Um, I’m Yixing.”  
    “Oh! You were here last week, right?” the man smiled like a cat, “I’m Jongdae. I guess I’m Yifan’s boss.”  
    “It’s nice to meet you,” Yixing smiled. The silence fell comfortable after that, Jongdae turning back to watch the soccer match on the television. It was like everyone Yixing knew liked soccer, as Luhan and Minseok both obsessed over a certain team, and now this Jongdae guy was apparently interested too. Zhixiang didn’t care for any sports (other than dance), and he had never asked Yifan his preference. If he remembered right, though, he thought Yifan liked basketball.  
    Yifan.  
    God, he was always thinking of Yifan.

***  
    “Yixing, oh my God! I’m so sorry!” Yifan exclaimed as he walked into the tiny shop, making Yixing jump up. He had fallen asleep with his head cradled in his arms against the tabletop, and his reaction earned a laugh from Jongdae. It took Yixing a bit to actually locate Yifan with his drowsy eyes. The elder was in a plain black suit, a pair of orange tinted glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. His camera bag was slung over his chest, resting at his side. “Oh! Yifan,” he smiled lazily, standing up.  
    “I finally got to interview Zhixiang, I had to stay behind, I’m so sorry for being late. When you didn’t reply to my text, I thought you went home.”  
    “Well, I’m here,” Yixing simply replied, liking how frazzled the taller man was. He liked that even though Yifan was trying hard to keep this cool aura, it all broke down rather easily. Zhixiang never left his “cool” persona.  
    “Do you still want to hang out?” Yifan asked as Yixing pushed in the chair.  
    Somehow, it felt crazy to him. He nodded his head, “Yeah, early dinner or something?”  
    “Sounds good. We can talk over a meal.”

    Sitting across from Yifan, somehow, didn’t feel like a date. Every ounce of anxiety left Yixing when Yifan left his suit jacket and camera in his car (which was not as expensive as Yixing thought it would be, it was probably a few years old, but it wasn’t anything extraordinary like Zhixiang’s). Every gram of anxiety was gone when Yifan brought him to a cheaper restaurant that held the same charm of the dumpling shop, and Yifan ordering a burger and fries, somehow, eased Yixing even more than he thought possible. Yifan was so… welcoming? Yixing couldn’t shake the thought as he watched the elder begin to speak. “How have your classes been?”  
    “I love them. I never thought I could pull off being a teacher. I wasn’t really the best student myself.”  
    “I’m sure you were good in your own dance classes, though?”  
    “I guess whatever your passion is, is what you’re going to be good in. I wouldn’t expect someone who wants to be an author to be very good in something like chemistry.”  
    “I was really good in math. But now I’m a journalist,” Yifan shrugged.  
    “I guess you’re an anomaly then,” Yixing teased. He leaned away from the table as the waiter put their plates down, his sandwich looking a little wimpy in comparison to any restaurant Zhixiang had brought him to, but he didn’t mind. “Did you always want to go into journalism?” Yixing asked between a few bites, making sure to swallow everything down before speaking, to save himself of embarrassment.  
    “I wanted to play basketball. I was the team captain, too, so it was actually really promising.”  
    “You said you got an injury, right?”  
    Yifan nodded his head. “The coach was really disappointed too. He still wanted me around, and he thought maybe I could tag along during the games. That’s when I ended up taking pictures for the yearbook and school newspaper. I was hooked into journalism ever since.”  
    The younger smiled and nodded, then he felt like a rock was dropped into his stomach. He had never asked Zhixiang why he went into fashion design. He didn’t know what Zhixiang was interested in when he was in high school. Then his train of thought took him elsewhere. Yixing was only five years old when Zhixiang graduated. Now that was a little disturbing, and he had never thought of it before. But, no, that didn’t matter. He was twenty-five, Zhixiang was thirty-seven, it was fine. It was.  
    “Were you always interested in dance?” Yifan asked, startling Yixing and making his Sprite tip out of his glass a bit.  
    “I was more into making music when I was younger, but yeah,” he started, placing cup down and wiping up the table, “My mom said I saw Michael Jackson dancing on TV and immediately started dancing along,” Yixing chuckled, discarding the damp napkin to play with the straw in his drink. He stared at the transparent liquid for a while, watching the carbonation bubbles pop as the straw came in contact with them. He glanced up at Yifan, who was silently eating. “I was offered a placement in a Korean entertainment company, as a choreographer. They had seen my stuff online and really liked me.”  
    “That’s sounds awesome. Was this recently? Did you accept?” Yifan asked, his focus drifting from his plate and to Yixing instead.  
    “It was two years ago,” he replied quietly, “I didn’t take the offer because I was too interested in Zhixiang. We weren’t dating yet but all my friends insisted he was going to ask me out soon. So I stayed in China, and he did ask.”  
    “I see,” Yifan hummed, resting his chin on his palm, “So… you regret not going?”  
    Yixing agreed, staying quiet. He looked at Yifan at that moment, finding the elder’s eyes already on him. “I always think I was really stupid back then. My mom always said that I’ll know what I want and who I want when it comes to me. I guess I really thought I could make a life with Zhixiang.”  
    “It’s okay, Yixing,” Yifan sighed, patting Yixing’s hand that sat on the tabletop, “Practically everyone goes through something like this.”  
    Yixing felt his heartbeat quicken at the contact, but he chose to ignore it. When the waiter approached with the bill, Yixing immediately spoke up, “I can pay for mine.”  
    Yifan shrugged his shoulders. “If you insist on it, I guess.”  
    Yixing almost dropped his wallet when Yifan said that. He hadn’t been able to pay for his own meal in such a long time, that it felt weird to pull those bills out of the old leather pouch.

***

    The sun was still beating down, high in the sky, by the time they left the restaurant and got to Yifan’s car. The engine roaring to life made Yixing think of his own junk car, and he settled back into the seat, thankful it was not uncomfortable leather like Zhixiang’s. “You haven’t broken up with him yet, have you?” Yifan asked, but it sounded more like he was stating a fact.  
    “I don’t know how. I don’t want to upset him.”  
    “Well, that’s inevitable. You’re both going to be upset afterwards.”  
    “Right…”  
    “I’ve never broken up with someone, but I’ve been dumped a lot. Don’t do it over text or call. Do it in person.”  
    Nodding, Yixing played with the loose thread on his shirt. He didn’t know why he asked the question that came from his mouth, but he did have a pretty good idea: “When was your last relationship?”  
    “A year ago, I think? I don’t remember. He was a jerk anyway.”  
    That pronoun made Yixing’s heart light up. Luhan was right. “And he broke up with you?”  
    “Yeah. Well, this one was pretty mutual, actually. He, uh, cheated on me? So when I approached him about it, he had to be a dick and act like he never liked me in the first place.”  
    “Oh, I’m sorry.”  
    “You don’t need to apologize,” Yifan chuckled. Then he clicked his tongue and threw a glance at the shorter man, “I guess you’re really just too sweet of a person.”


	7. 07.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how?? rushed?? is this first part?? i hate it and i never had the time to rewrite it so i was like, whatever, i'm sorry zhixiang i love you 
> 
> side note! uh!! second son!! is coming!! im freaking the FUCK out guys

_**“Are you happy,**_ Yixing?” Zhixiang muttered against his shoulder as they sat on the couch, his arms wrapped loosely around the younger’s waist. The night was rolling on slowly, and Yixing’s eyes were already beginning to hood in hopes of sleeping, but Zhixiang’s question immediately woke him up, and he stiffened in the elder’s arms. “Happy in what way?” Yixing responded quietly.  
    It took a bit for Zhixiang to respond. He pulled away from Yixing in order to start a proper conversation. “With everything. With us, with me. In general. Are you happy?”  
    Yixing shrank back against the couch, wrapping his arms around himself. “I don’t know.”  
    Zhixiang’s eyes drifted from his, and back on the television. “I just felt like something was off with you. You haven’t been talking to me as often, you haven’t really been touching me, either.”  
    The younger kept silent, his eyes settling on his legs in front of him. He knew. Zhixiang had to know. He had to know that was a man in Yixing’s life that turned his face bright red and released butterflies in his stomach.  
    “Yixing, I-”  
    “Do you want to break up, Zhixiang?” Yixing interrupted, his voice small.  
    The comment seemed to take the elder by surprise, as he looked over at the other immediately. “Do _you_?”  
    “I… I think I do.”  
    Zhixiang nodded his head, then they fell completely silent. They sat apart on the couch for the first time in their entire relationship. He had spent so long worrying himself to death about this exact moment, thinking it was going to be the worse thing in his life, but it was over as soon as it began. There were no tears, like he thought there would be. There was no yelling, no anger. It was only silent. Yixing hoped this wasn’t like the calm before the storm. He loved Zhixiang still, but as a friend now. It wasn’t going to be romantic, it wasn’t going to have the same meaning as before, and he hoped Zhixiang didn’t mind that. Though, he found Zhixiang’s sudden question to be strange. With the way Zhixiang loved to pamper him, and loved to love him, Yixing couldn't see why Zhixiang had practically initiated the breakup, unless he somehow saw through Yixing’s white lies. The elder man knew him well enough, though, that he could see the hints of love in Yixing’s eyes whenever he saw Yifan. That was all Yixing could assume it was. The younger man ran his fingers down the denim of his jeans, staring at nothing for awhile until Zhixiang spoke again. “Do you want me to drive you home?”  
    Yixing only nodded his head.

    Zhixiang parked outside of Yixing’s apartment and got out of the car to walk him inside, fully out of habit. When Yixing looked at him with a strange face, the elder stayed back a bit. “So, we’re broken up?” Yixing asked, staying outside even if the cold air of the night was biting his bare arms.  
    “I guess so,” Zhixiang seemed like he had a lot more to say, but he limited himself, “I’ll bring your stuff over from my house tomorrow, if you want.”  
    Yixing placed a hand on his arm, rubbing through his jacket with his thumb. “Don’t try to shut me out, Zhixiang. We both still like each other.”  
    The elder smiled at the contact, “I know.”  
    “Friends?”  
    Zhixiang nodded, and accepted as Yixing’s arms wrapped around him in a hug.

***

    “My boy is all grown up,” Luhan feigned a sobbing voice as he threw an arm over Yixing’s shoulder, leading him to the chairs on the edge of the field. Yixing sat down as Luhan did, and crossed his arms over his chest. Luhan would probably call Tao the moment he got home and tell him everything. And Tao would call Yixing right after that and complain about all the effort he put into getting him and Zhixiang together.  
    “You act like breaking up is the best thing to happen to someone,” Yixing grumbled, watching as the kids ran across the field, chasing the soccer ball.  
    “Breaking up isn’t the best thing. But you know what it means for you now, right?” Luhan smiled, elbowing him lightly.  
    “What? You expect me to ask out Yifan the day after I break off a long term relationship?” the younger shot a glare in Luhan’s direction, but the blond only shrugged his shoulders.  
    “Not exactly what I meant. But yeah, you can have Yifan all to yourself without a single worry.”  
    “Without a _single_ worry.”  
    “What? He is gay, isn’t he?”  
    “That’s not the problem.”  
    Luhan looked at him with his eyebrow raised, egging him to go on.  
    Yixing sighed and shrugged, “What if he likes me as a friend? What if I’m getting the wrong idea?”  
    “You’re really stupid, Yixing.”  
    “I thought we already established that, apparently, I don’t know anything about romance or dating?’ Yixing mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest. Luhan just laughed and nodded his head. “I just have to give it time, right?” the younger said, more to himself than anything.

 

    “Why do you ruin everything I enjoy?” Tao sobbed at him through the phone, a common sound from the younger man. “I think I was more in love with your relationship than you were.”  
    “You probably were,” Yixing agreed, sighing as he threw his head back against the couch. The moment he got home, his cell phone was already ringing with a annoyed Zitao on the other end. He had expected this, after all.  
    “I can’t _believe_ you’d just throw away someone as good as Zhixiang.”  
    “I didn’t _throw him away_ ,” Yixing spat, eyes closing. “We’re still friends.”  
    “Oh, honey-”  
    The sudden sound from his cellphone made him jump, and he found someone else was trying to call him. That someone else was just a bit more important to Yixing than Tao, so he said his farewell to the younger with a lot of complaints flying out from the model’s mouth. Yixing cleared his throat before answering the person waiting on the other line.  
    “You broke up with Zhixiang?”  
    Yeah, that’s exactly what he wanted to hear from Yifan right now.  
    “I did, how did you find out?”  
    “Minseok told me. I’m assuming he found out from Luhan,” Yixing bit his tongue about how this spread like a rumor through a clique of teenaged girls.  
    “Mm, I almost forgot. I can’t trust Luhan with any information.”  
    The light laugh that left Yifan made Yixing feel as if his heart was on fire. “Are you doing okay? With the breakup, I mean?”  
    “I’m perfectly fine. I promise.”  
    “That’s good. I’m glad. It looks like Zhixiang is taking it fine, too, he’s the same as ever at work,” There was a pause that Yixing felt he needed to fill, but the elder began speaking again just as he opened his mouth, “I’ve gotta go, I’ll talk to you later.”  
    Yixing said his goodbye and let out a loud sigh as he dropped his phone next to him, sounding like a frustrated child. If he thought breaking up with Zhixiang was hard, then that made getting closer to Yifan almost impossible.

***

Luhan was even dumber than he originally thought, Yixing decided as they sat on the patio of the old dumpling shop, the elder continuously asking Yifan questions. Yifan didn’t mind, it seemed, as he was on his break and was beginning to think of the two as friends. Yixing just hoped these questions spewing from Luhan’s lips would stop before something _horribly stupid_ came up.  
    The worse part of it all, was that Luhan was trying to relate each of Yifan’s answers to Yixing.  
    “What’s your favorite color, Yifan?”  
    “Blue, I guess.”  
    “Yixing’s favorite color is purple. I guess you guys have colors that match your cool personalities, huh Xing?”  
    Yixing never responded to anything, acting like he was way too interested in his cooling dumplings.  
    “You play basketball, right? Yixing used to be really into basketball when we were in high school, but he liked dance more. Right, Yixing?”  
    Yixing only nodded his head, but felt his cheeks flare when he caught Yifan’s smile.  
    “We should play sometime, then.”  
    “I really wasn’t any good, you’d beat me immediately,” Yixing confessed, shaking his head. He was really only on the team so he wouldn't have to take a normal physical education class. Though, he decided, if Yifan had gone to his high school, the elder would be a good reason to play the sport. Yixing had to mentally slap himself.  
    “Then maybe I can teach you how to play better? I mean, only if you want to.”

 

    By the time Luhan decided to leave, the shop was closed, and Yifan and Yixing were headed to the elder’s car. Yifan unlocked the door and ushered for Yixing to get in, insisting it was fine for him to get dropped off. “Was there a reason Luhan was asking so many questions?”  
    “Probably,” Yixing sighed as he settled back against the seat, “He acts like my mother sometimes.”  
    “What do you mean?” Yifan questioned, his voice almost getting lost in the soft rum of the engine.  
    “Oh, he just… Ends up interviewing people I’m friends with. He thinks it’s his duty, as my best friend.”  
    “Making sure I’m okay for you, basically?”  
    “Yeah, basically.”  
    Yixing could see the elder smile from the corner of his vision. He watched as Yifan opened his mouth to speak, but soon closed it with a small shake of his head. “I’m sure we’re fine for each other.”

    Yifan walked Yixing through the lobby of the apartment complex, stopping in front of the elevator. Yixing thanked him for driving, and was about to press the button to call for the lift, until Yifan coughed. The coughing seemed fake to Yixing at first, at least until it seemed like the elder was actually choking. Yixing just stared at him with furrowed eyebrows until Yifan finally found his composure again. “I’m sorry, I just meant to cough and get your attention, I didn’t-”  
    “Get my attention?”  
    Yifan straightened himself out immediately and nodded as he looked down at the other, and Yixing suddenly felt smaller than he ever had been around Yifan. “Could we… go out sometime? Like, as a date?” Yifan asked, and Yixing felt like he was going to choke.  
    “Really?” Yixing croaked.  
    “I was hoping I could ask you earlier, but since you were with Zhixiang and all…”  
    “You waited for us to break up?”  
    “It sounds bad like that,” Yifan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess? Originally I was just going to ignore you a bit in that aspect, since you were with him, but when you said you wanted to break up with him, I got excited.”  
    Yixing stared down at his shoes for a while, trying to will away the lip-cracking smile that found his lips. When he realized there was no stopping it, he beamed up at Yifan, with his dimple digging a mine into his cheek. “I’d love to.”  
    That smile on Yifan’s face, pulling his lips into what resembled a heart and putting his pink gums on display, was enough for Yixing to know this was the right choice for him.

***

    Yixing felt like a teenager again as he got dressed on the following Monday, going through the best clothes that Zhixiang had bought him over the years to find something suitable for his first _date_ with _Wu Yifan_. The elder had suggested lunch and a walk around the mall, and Yixing immediately agreed to it. He finally found something casual, but not too beat up; something that he felt Yifan would like. Yifan was a very casual person, Yixing had come to learn, as the elder only wore suits to work and typically was clad in something that definitely fit his laidback mood. When Yixing found out that the elder liked hip hop, that part of his style began to grow on Yixing too.  
    Yixing could only say something like that about Yifan, couldn’t he? He never was able to relate to Zhixiang through style or interests, in all honesty.

    “I can’t believe you’re friends with one of the best rookie models in China, and he turns out to be an asshole. My dreams are ruined,” Yifan stated when Yixing had finished telling the elder everything about how he began his relationship with Zhixiang.  
    “What dreams?” Yixing asked as they walked down the nearly empty halls of the mall. It was a school day, most of the teenagers around the city would be in class. He glanced up at Yifan.  
    “I’m a fashion journalist and photographer. The moment I heard about Huang Zitao, every single one of my colleagues wanted to have a shoot and interview with him. He’s pretty famous around Wo Chen, too.”  
    “He got his start thanks to Zhixiang. I would expect him to be.”  
    “You could be a model, Yixing.”  
    The remark caught the shorter man off guard, and he looked up at Yifan as he stopped walking. It took the elder a moment to realized he had stopped. “What’s that supposed to mean?”  
    “I mean, you’re really handsome, is all. You have a nice facial structure.”  
    A smile found the other’s lips. He found his place next to Yifan and slowly took his large hand into his own. “I guess I could say the same thing about you, Yifan.”  
    It was Yifan’s turn to get flustered, and he just laughed under his breath before curling his fingers around Yixing’s wrist. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

***

    “Hey,” Yifan murmured, standing close to Yixing in front of his apartment door. Yixing never thought the drab, dated hallway of his complex could ever look so nice. “It was nice today.”  
    “It really was,” Yixing smiled, his forefinger running over the metal handle of the door.  
    “You should come around _Wo Chen_ still. You know, even if you aren’t dating Zhixiang anymore. I’m still working there for a week and a half.”  
    “You’re leaving after that?” Yixing had to ask, his hand dropping from the doorknob and curling at his side.  
    “Yeah. I’m heading to Beijing for more work.”  
    Yixing assumed the elder caught that sad look in his eyes, because he immediately gripped Yixing’s hands. The gesture was comforting, but it didn’t cure his disappointment.  
    “You know, you should always go for your dream and not let anything stand in your way,” Yifan shifted to hold Yixing’s hands properly, their fingers intertwining in front of their waists, “Will you come with me to Beijing? At least as a vacation for you? I know you’re a teacher, and you’d have to get a substitute, but I-”  
    “Yes, Yifan.”  
    Yifan shut his mouth and stared down at him, his perfectly groomed eyebrows would have disappeared under his hair if it wasn’t pulled back. “Seriously?”  
    “Nothing should stop your dream. Beijing surely has entertainment companies in need of a choreographer.”  
    “You-”  
    “Yifan, I think you were the final catalyst in me breaking up with Zhixiang. I had been unhappy for so long with him, I guess meeting you and getting to know you showed me that there are other people, and that I don’t have to settle for the first person that says ‘I love you’. Luhan was trying to teach me that, but he’s not exactly the brightest in love,” Yixing laughed and gripped Yifan’s hand tighter, “So, I would love to go to Beijing with you. Even just as a vacation.”  
    Yifan’s gums were overpowering as his smile cracked his face in half, and Yixing followed suit. “You’re really choosing your own path, Yixing.”  
    “I’m choosing a path I’d prefer to live.”


	8. epilogue.

    “What the hell is this? I don’t want beggars at my door,” Luhan groaned when he opened his door, finding a smiling Yixing standing with a duffle bag hanging from his shoulder. The younger merely pushed past him and dropped his bag in the foyer, removing his slip on shoes with ease. Luhan just crossed his arms and found his place back on the couch. “Where’s your other half?”  
    Just as Luhan asked the question, the ajar door crept open again, and the tall man in question walked in, a suitcase trailing behind him. “Speak of the Devil and he will appear,” Yixing teased, taking his and Yifan’s luggage and wandering further into the house to find the guest bedroom.  
    “Yixing’s calling me the Devil?” Yifan questioned as he pulled off his shoes.  
    Luhan suppressed a chuckle as the taller man sat next to him. “You should hear what Minseok calls me-”  
    Yixing entered the living room again, a bundle of orange fur cradled in his arms as he plopped down next to his boyfriend on the sofa. Luhan only stared. “Tom likes you? Tom hates everyone. Including me.”  
    Petting the cat’s head, Yixing only shrugged with a smile. “I’m sure he likes Minseok.”  
    “You come into my house just to slander me. I’m hurt, I opened my doors for you.”  
    “Wasn’t Minseok the one who paid for this house?” Yifan inquired, his arm falling over the back of the couch and around Yixing’s shoulders.  
    “So isn’t Minseok the one who opened the doors for us?” Yixing added.  
    “You guys are practically rich, why don’t you just get a hotel room? I don’t see why you needed to stay with us.”  
    Yixing let the cat out of his arms, watching as it completely ignored Luhan and made its way to the armchair Minseok typically sat in. He looked up at Yifan with a smile. “Money is just a cushion, I think,” Yifan replied. Yixing had to agree. In the last two years, Yifan had ended his job behind cameras and opted to be the one modeling in front of them instead. Yixing, on the other hand, found himself still behind the stage curtains, only this time planning dances for idols the country fawned over. When they were doing what they loved, a good amount of money was just something added.  
    “You haven’t seen me in a year, Luhan, you’re so mean to me,” Yixing whined, “I’m sure Minseok would love to see me.”  
    “I had to see you for, like, fourteen years.”  
    “All the more reason to miss me.”  
    Luhan turned to Yifan at that. “You’ve corrupted him. He used to be so sweet. I trusted you, Wu Yifan.”

 

    “Minseok, save me, they’re acting like newlyweds and they’re not even married. I swear, we never acted like this, even as newlyweds,” Luhan immediately called out when they heard the front door open. Yixing was practically sitting in Yifan’s lap, the couple completely ignoring Luhan’s cries for help and instead intently watching the movie playing on the television.  
    With one glance at the sofa, Minseok made his way into the kitchen, making Luhan jump up from his seat and follow him. Yixing could barely make out what they said, but he honestly didn’t care too much. “We definitely did act like that,” Minseok stated nonchalantly, a suctioning noise signaling that he opened the refrigerator. “I think you switched roles with him now.”  
    “He’s right,” Yixing shot up, turning to observe the two in the kitchen, his chin resting on his boyfriend’s shoulder, “The moment you met Minseok, you were gushing all over him, and I was the one disgusted by it. I find my love, you get disgusted.”  
    Minseok nodded his head. “You guys are too much alike.”  
    Luhan crossed his arms and glared between his husband and his best friend. “I don’t have a single friend. You all hate me. I got three goddamn cats so I would have a friend, and even they hate me. The world is out to get me.”  
    “Tan is my cat. You have two cats,” Minseok stated as he walked out of the room, heading towards the master bedroom.  
    “Minseok used to be so sweet too,” Luhan howled.

***

    The guest bedroom was just as comfortable as Yixing hoped, and even more so with Yifan’s arms around his waist. It didn’t matter the size of the mattress or the thread count of the sheets, as long as Yixing could feel Yifan’s breath on his skin, he was as comfortable as he could ever be. “Hey,” Yifan whispered, hot breath against his neck, “Are you happy to be back here?”  
    Yixing twisted around, Yifan’s arms never leaving his waist. His own snaked around the taller man’s neck. “I am. It’s almost nostalgic. I can’t imagine what it would be like to go back to Changsha.”  
    Yifan’s smile was still visible, even under the dismal light of the moon. “You know what I promised.”  
    “Seven days in Changsha and seven days in Guangzhou for our honeymoon.”  
    “Mhm.”  
    Yixing pecked his lips. “A proposal has to happen before we can even think about a honeymoon, Yifan.”  
    “I know,” Yifan murmured, his lips meeting Yixing’s cheek. “I love you.”  
    “I love you, too.”  
    “I promise, it’ll happen soon.”  
    “You say that so often. Maybe I want to propose to you, did you ever think about that?”  
    “Let’s just propose to each other.”  
    They fell silent, just watching each other in the light of the night. Yixing’s eyes hooded as he watched Yifan’s eyelashes fan against his cheeks, then his gaze trailed down to his plump lips. “Yifan,” he whispered, shuffling closer so that they shared the same breaths, “Will you marry me?”  
    “It depends,” Yifan whispered back, his hands leaving Yixing’s waist to travel up to his cheeks, “Will you marry me?”  
    “Yes.”  
    Yifan smiled, “See? I just proposed to you.”  
    Yixing was about to speak, but Yifan hushed him with a light kiss.  
    “I wanted to bring you back here because we met in this city. I was going to really propose to you on this trip. I even have a ring in my suitcase. But this moment, I felt like it would mean a lot more to you. You’ve always loved talking at night.”  
    The younger couldn’t meet Yifan’s eyes, instead prompting to stare at his lips again. “You’re really proposing to me.”  
    “Yixing, I want to marry you.”  
    “I want to marry you, too, Yifan.”  
   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is it! thank you to everyone who read, commented, and left kudos on this! im glad to see so many people enjoyed my writing.  
> expect longer fics with better plots in the future :')


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